We’ve got Spider-Man on the brain right now, after the trailer for Marvel and Sony’s first cinematic team-up just dropped.
Needless to say, Spider-Man: Homecoming looks terrific (Michael Keaton as the Vulture!), and could hopefully give us a series of Spider-Man movies that runs for years and years without being rebooted.
Still, we’re not only getting a new Spidey on the big screen – we’re going to see another fresh-faced webslinger on the PS4, too!
Courtesy of Insomniac Games, the new Spider-Man will hit the market sometime in 2017. Anyone who’s watched the teaser trailer as much as we have will be set to pop with excitement, and here are five reasons why …
A Brand New Story Unconnected to Spider-Man: Homecoming
We’ve had a ton of Spider-Man games, but most of those released in the past 15 years have been based around the various films. Others have been tied to the comics, with Shattered Dimensions one of the best examples, featuring as it does four different versions of Spidey from the Marvel universe.
Still, Insomniac is taking a bold approach with their Spidey game. Rather than tying their plot in with Spider-Man: Homecoming (which will no doubt get its own mobile adaptation anyway), they’re creating a whole new take on the character and his world.
Sure, he’ll still be the Spidey we know, and still shooting webs across New York City, but Insomniac is completely free to do what they want. This keeps things surprising, too – if they want to kill Aunt May off and have her resurrected as the new Green Goblin with Doc Ock’s tentacles, they can! (Hands off, Insomniac – that’s our idea!)
New Parkour Mechanics
Parkour’s been used in plenty of games, most notably Assassin’s Creed. Dare we say, it may even have been used a tad too much.
Still, if there’s one character who should be able to show off nifty parkour skills, it’s Spider-Man. After all, it’s practically in his name! (Parker, Parkour, see? Right?)
As you can see in the trailer, Insomniac’s Spidey looks perfectly comfortable flipping and thwipping through locations, bouncing around the screen like he’s made of rubber. They’ve also confirmed that this Spider-Man is pretty experienced, which means he should have some real mastery over his powers and agility – and traversing environments in next to no time should be a no-brainer.
More Focus on Peter Parker
While details are still pretty thin on the ground, Insomniac has said their game will focus on Peter Parker as well as Spider-Man. Now, other Spidey adaptations have let us play as his alter-ego before, but only briefly.
We’re intrigued to see how this works. Will we actually get to play certain missions or explore the city as Peter? Can we complete side-quests based around picking up Aunt May’s medication or Mary Jane’s latest headshots?
Perhaps this just means the story will get to the core of the character more than any before it, rather than just being a series of cut-scenes stringing missions together. After the terrific storytelling of the Arkham series, which delved deep into Batman’s character and world, we hope to see a similar level of quality in this Spider-Man adaptation.
A Developer with Serious Credentials
Let’s not beat around the bush, here: Insomniac are not the usual suspects when it comes to licensed games.
For a start, Insomniac Games are the big, pulsating brain behind the beloved Ratchet and Clank series. They know how to tell stories. They know how to make games fun, exciting, and challenging. They’re also used to creating their own characters, worlds, and storylines rather than working with other people’s ideas.
This makes them a particularly bold choice for a Spider-Man game, and this doesn’t seem to be just an easy, money-making move. Marvel have said this is the start of a new approach to video games, based around working with developers passionate about their characters to ensure high-quality experiences.
While we haven’t seen much of Insomniac’s Spider-Man yet, the glimpses revealed already seem to stay true to this mandate. Whether you’re a fan of their previous games or not, there’s no denying Insomniac are an exciting pick for a Marvel project.
A More Organic New York than Ever
Spider-Man games have come a long, long way from the days of swinging left to right across small 2D locations.
Since the unforgettable Neversoft Spider-Man game for the PS1 came along in 2000, Spidey’s 3D adventures have evolved at an impressive rate. In more recent releases, Spidey can swing seamlessly from rooftops down to the streets and back again.
With consoles as powerful as they are today, though, Spider-Man’s Manhattan can be remarkably close to the real thing. Spidey should face constant traffic, crowds, and other obstacles in his path. The city should always feel alive, day and night.
Again, we’ve seen little of Insomniac’s Spider-Man game, but in the teaser, the city is bustling with civilians and vehicles alike. We expect random crimes to occur as they have in previous Spider-Man games, but will these be more diverse than the same old muggings or car-jackings? Will we be able to go inside buildings, or take photography assignments from the Daily Bugle (assuming Peter will actually be affiliated with them)?
There’s lots to look forward to, and until we get more concrete details, we can only speculate. But one thing’s for sure: all the right pieces are in place to make this the best Spider-Man game ever. Fingers crossed that this is what we get – and more.
What are you most excited to see in Insomniac’s forthcoming Spider-Man game? Let us know!
